How to Get More Likes on Instagram

Likes follow attention. Instagram decides how many people see a post from how the first viewers react, so more likes start with a post that stops the scroll and gives people a reason to tap.

Updated October 2026 · by the Hourden team

Why your Instagram posts are not getting likes

Low likes usually mean low reach: the post was shown to few people, often because early viewers scrolled past it, or because it was a format Instagram rarely shows beyond your followers.

Check Insights for the post. If Reach is low, the problem is distribution. If reach is fine but likes are low, the content itself is not earning the tap. Those two problems have different fixes, so look before changing everything. If you have hidden like counts on your own posts, remember viewers do not see the number either; see how hiding likes works.

1. Use Reels to reach people who don't follow you

Reels are the format Instagram shows most to non-followers, so they are the main way to put a post in front of new people who can like it.

Keep Reels short, start with motion or text in the first frame, and use an audio that fits. A Reel does not need to be produced; it needs to be watched to the end.

2. Post carousels for likes and saves

Carousels earn more interactions per viewer because people swipe through them, and Instagram can show the post again with a different first slide.

Make the first slide a hook (a question, a bold claim, a before photo) and the last one a reason to save or share. Educational carousels, lists and step-by-steps perform especially well.

3. Make the first frame stop the scroll

The first frame or first slide decides whether someone stops, and nobody likes a post they scrolled past.

Use contrast, a face, or readable text. Avoid busy images that look fine on a laptop and turn into noise on a phone screen.

4. Write captions that add something

A caption that adds context, a story or a question keeps people on the post longer, and time on the post feeds the same signal as likes.

Put the most interesting line first, because only the first line shows before “more”. Ending with a real question invites comments, which keep the post circulating.

5. Post when your audience is online

Posting when your followers are active gives a post its best first hour, which is when Instagram decides whether to widen its reach.

Insights → Total followers → Most active times shows the hours and days. Consistency matters more than finding a perfect minute.

6. Reply to every comment in the first hour

Replies double the comment count and bring people back to the post, which Instagram reads as a post worth showing to more people.

Answer questions, pin a good comment, and like replies. The first hour after posting is where this matters most.

7. Use relevant hashtags and a location

A handful of specific hashtags and a location help Instagram classify a post and show it in search and topic surfaces; mass generic hashtags do not.

Use three to five hashtags that describe the post precisely. A location tag puts the post in front of people nearby, which matters for local businesses.

8. Engage with your niche before and after posting

Commenting on posts in your niche brings people to your profile, and those visitors are the ones most likely to like your next post.

Ten thoughtful comments on accounts your audience follows do more than a hundred generic ones. Engagement pods and like-for-like groups bring likes from people who will never care about your content, which teaches Instagram the wrong audience.

9. Get likes and followers together

Likes and followers grow together when posts reach new people and the profile gives them a reason to stay: a clear bio, a recognisable grid and Highlights.

If you want more of both, the companion pieces are how to grow Instagram followers organically and how to increase your Instagram reach.

10. When buying likes makes sense

It makes sense to buy Instagram likes when a post needs a credible starting number (a launch, an ad that sends traffic to a post), not as a substitute for posts people want to like.

Bought likes raise the visible counter; they do not comment, share or follow. Where they help is the first impression: a post with a healthy number gets read differently from one sitting at a dozen.

On Hourden, Instagram likes start at $0.74 per 1,000 on the Standard tier (from 30, starting within an hour, with a 30-day refill), and High Quality likes are $6.00 per 1,000 from 5. For Reels, Reels likes cost the same. You paste the post link only, deposits start at $3, and if the profile itself looks empty, Instagram followers start at $3.75 per 1,000. The free routes are compared in free Instagram likes, and the buying process is in how to buy Instagram followers.

Questions about getting more Instagram likes